Just Desserts

When I was growing up we generally sat down to dinner all together at the table. We never watched T.V. while we ate, unless it was New Years Eve or a really special occasion. My brother usually ate something slightly different than the rest of us. For the most part we enjoyed good conversation and some fun laughs.

I remember a particular night when we decided to go around the table and say something nice about the person to our left, or was it right? It sounds really lovely doesn’t it? Although the exact words have been lost over time, I do recall the main points of that evening.

I now present:

“Just Desserts”
a Play in One Act
by me

(A family sits around a rectangular table finishing up the remains of their dinner.)

MOM
Well I think it would be really nice if we could all say something nice about each other.

VALERIE
Yeah! Let’s do it! Don’t you think that sounds like fun Dad?

DAD
(slightly forced)
Sure. What a good idea.

GINGER
Do we go to the right or to the left?

CLAY
I don’t like shrimp. I don’t eat shrimp.

MOM
Yes you do!

GINGER
Clay! Stop it. Eat your food so we can do this!

CLAY
No fair…(bicker, bicker, martyr, etc.)….!

MOM
Well, I will start. I love that your Father is such a good provider for our family.

DAD
Thank you. And I appreciate that. I enjoy it when Clay does what he is told the first time he is asked.

CLAY
Uh. I like that Ginger sometimes mows the yard.

GINGER
I like that Valerie and I think the same things are funny.

VALERIE
I love that Mom makes dinner for us.

MOM
Clay, don’t forget all of your broccoli. Thank you, Valerie. I love that your Dad washes all of the cars and keeps them looking so shiny and nice.

DAD
I like it when Clay clears his plate

CLAY
I like it when Ginger doesn’t slurp her cereal in the morning.

GINGER
Clay! Well I like it when Valerie puts butter on her muffin and DOESN’T get blueberries in the butter.

VALERIE
I like it when Mom doesn’t yell in the morning.

MOM
I like it when your Dad unloads the dishwasher and puts the things where they go (motioning wildly) instead of putting them away randomly!

DAD
What?! Well, then I like it when Clay doesn’t smack with his mouth open.

CLAY
I like it when Dad doesn’t get on my case.

And SCENE.

We do not play this game anymore, but we have played “I Don’t like it when…” several times since then. You might try it sometime. It provides for an exciting mealtime.